The Best of 2011: Part Two

Onward and forward with the best photos of 2011.

A dragonfly with wet wings that was saved by my husband and the ever faithful Chance.  July 03, 2011 at Star Island in Cass Lake.

A bumble bee on my Liatris.  August 07, 2011.

My ten year old grandson  Adam..who always makes me smile.  September 24, 2011

The moon and clouds on a stormy evening in October of 2011.

My daughter Jennifer.  I took this photo on November 24 2011.

Chance in December 2011.  I rarely take photos with a flash..but this one turned out quite well.  The Christmas tree in the background does not have any lights on it..what you see is the light reflecting off of the hundreds of Shiny Brite ornaments that I collect.

Well that is the twelve photos that I picked to represent the best of my photography for this year..now to pick just one for tomorrows Sunday Stills:)

The Best of 2011: Part One

Next Sunday on Sunday Stills we are supposed to pick out our best photo of 2011.  I will be picking one a month and then picking a final favorite on Sunday..input is welcome!

Chance in January 2011.

Shell River leaving Shell Lake in February 2011.

The new Red Bridge on Fish Hook River in March of 2011.

A Mallard Duck in April of 2011 in the Fish Hook River.

A Baltimore Oriole in May of 2011.

A Chippy ( Chipmunk) that entertained Chance and I for hours in June of 2011.

I will be back with the next six photos soon:)

Sunday Stills: ‘Tis The Season

The challenge this week was to photograph what Christmas means to you.  If you love shopping and being a kitchen slave..perhaps you should stop reading now.

This is the leaning tree on Main Street in town 14 miles from our home.  We check it every time we go to town..it looks like it could go over in a strong wind.

I like Christmas ornaments..I collect them.  I scour antique shops for them. It is one of the only holiday activities I enjoy.

I like shopping in antique shops, flea markets and thrift stores.  Other places no so much.   Not many people appreciate gifts from my favorite shopping places.   I hate shopping in other stores with their piped in music and Christmas “stuff” that is out before Halloween.  I don’t like to cook or bake either..or wrap gifts or write cheery Christmas cards and letters.  Bah Humbug.. 

I do shop and bake and cook..but only because of peer pressure, it is not something I look forward to or enjoy. Bah Humbug..

Now if I could just sit quietly after a potluck dinner on paper plates while someone read the Christmas Story and I could exchange a small hand made gift with someone..I would be more than happy to say Merry Christmas:)

Sunday Stills: Pets

Congratulations to Sunday Stills on three great years!  The challenge this week is pets.  Of course I took a photo of Chance!

 

December 10, 2012    Chance was seven years old back in October.

He can show off that intense Border Collie stare while waiting for me to throw a ball!

One front foot is held up ready to go!

As you can see we don’t have very much snow.

 

Chance and one of his favorite kids our Granddaughter Madison.  He is a much loved dog.

I took this photo Thanksgiving Day it was 50 degrees..I kinda like global warming:)

Sunday Stills: Backlit

The challenge this week was to take a photo of something backlit.

I went to my archives this week.  I found that I do not take photos that are backlit very often.

In some cases I am forced into it..wrong time of day..and in one of my favorite spots.

 

or in a garden..

Wanting to get a great shot of a fern.   Have a great week everyone:)

Sunday Stills : Bokeh

The Sunday Stills Challenge this week was bokeh.   Simply stated bokeh is the out of focus part of a photo.

This was my best shot outside..the wind was howling like a banshee again yesterday.

How about some summer shots? 

Liatris and a bee in August of 2011.

Lupine with Veronica Blue Bouquet providing the bokeh.   Did you know that bokeh and bouquet are pronounced the same..BOH- kay.

Sometimes I get accidental bokeh.  Like this photo taken in September of 2011.

Sometimes  I get Chance bokeh! 

Have a great week everyone:)

Sunday Stills: Portraits

The challenge this week was to take a portrait.  Ok.

I tried..and I mean tried to capture my Granddaughters cat. This is my best shot.

Skittles November 15, 2011  He belongs to Miss Paige.

This morning I attempted a photo of Chance..sometimes he is just a pain, he yawns and blinks his eyes.

Chance on November 20, 2011

Yes we have snow here..it has spit snow all week..I think winter might be here.  Have a good week everyone:)

Macro Monday: Frosty Raspberry Foliage

I love the early morning frosts.

Check out more Monday Macros here:)

Sunday Stills: Potluck with a purpose

I delete lots of photos too..I only keep the best ones.  Well what I think are the best ones.  This week the Sunday Stills Challenge was to critique your own photo.

A big problem I have is the horizon line..in landscape photos.  Especially if I just grab my camera for one quick photo.

I took this photo this week.

As you can see my horizon line is off.  In order to save this photo I have to take it into my photo program and straighten it up.

Like this…same photo

Gotta love technology!  However it wastes valuable time..and unless it is a photo I am smitten with..I will delete it instead of fix it.

Another problem I have is patience.  On Wednesday we were out and about.  The moon was up and almost full.

Yes the moon is there..but you have to search for it.

This photo taken 20 minutes later was much better.

Horizons and patience both things I could improve on.  Have a good week everyone:)

Sunday Stills: In the Dark

The challenge this week for Sunday Stills was to take a photo in the dark.   Chance and I ventured out.  He was on lead..because a few weeks ago we had a skunk in our yard after dark.

This is Chance and the Bluestem that is on the east side of the house.

I got some of those solar lights and a scarecrow to scare off the skunk.  Chance will remain on lead after dark until it snows and the skunks go into hibernation.  We don’t need our Border Collie herding anymore skunks:)

Sunday Stills : Vanishing Point

The Sunday Stills Challenge this week was to take a photo that has a vanishing point.

This is a center vanishing point.  The highway nearby that heads to the west. I took this photo on October 07, 2011.

Multiple vanishing points on the left.  This was Bass Lake earlier this week on October 03, 2011.

A vanishing point to the right.  This is the creek that runs out of Round Lake.  I took this photo Saturday October 08, 2011.  Most of the leaves are gone from the trees.

We have to go back to September 29, 2011 to get real good Fall Color and a vanishing point. This was taken on the Hanna Ore Trail, one of my favorite roads to meander along in the fall.

Have a great week everyone! :)

Sunday Stills: Water Droplets

The Sunday Stills Challenge this week was Water Droplets.

Here are some drops on my lawn ornament that is made from silverware.  It didn’t rain..I had to take a squirt bottle outside with me.  We need rain desperately. I took this photo today.

I have a few watery shots from my archives.

Chance loves to play in the water!

In September I took this photo of a Gull taking off.  This was our last day out on the pontoon for the year.

I got a little wild and crazy with this watery shot!

Have a great week everyone:)

Sunday Stills: First Signs of Fall

The Sunday Stills Challenge this week was First Signs of Fall. The very first sign of Fall happens right in my yard.

The Virginia Creeper that grows wild in the woods turns red.  It grows up many of the Oaks in the yard. I took this photo September 10, 2011.

I took this photo last night, my daughter, my son in law and my two grandsons were walking along the back driveway.  Fall is here.  I don’t mind Fall..but winter can stay away for a long time yet!   I will have more free time now, I will finish up my summer job this week.  So I hope to be able to participate in more of the photo challenges again:)

Sunday Stills: The letter “B”

I can do the Sunday Stills Challenge this week!

Meet Odda..she is a Bernese Mountain Dog. She is big and beautiful and she lives nearby.

Bee on a Blue flower ( Globe Thistle)

Bye..have a good week everyone:)

Sunday Stills: Macro

 

This weeks Sunday Stills Challenge was Macro. 

This is a Armenian Basket Flower or Centaurea macrocephala.

  From start to finish.

See it looks like a basket.

Then the basket blooms. 

This plant is a hardy perennial in Minnesota.  It thrives in my wild gardens:)

Sunday Stills: The letter F

The Sunday Stills Challenge this week was the letter F..no archives.

We went out for a ride last evening after supper.  We were searching for some F’s.

Wait just a minute..we have a Ferris Wheel Seat right outside the door.  Chance graciously sat for a photo.   My husband bought a number of these seats in Wisconsin and restored this one..it is a great place to sit and read a book..or just relax. 

We headed for the fields.

The crop sprayer was flying over the potato fields.  These potato's are made into French Fries the ones that stand up straight in the box.

On our way back home we saw a far away fawn and her mother.

Field, forest and a fawn ..have a great week everyone:)